Koprulu Rising
by MetalKing1417
Summary: While chasing down a zerg fleet through a mysterious artifact of an unknown race, a joint Terran and Protoss fleet make contact with a coalition of races known as the Citadel Council. Needs a new name.
1. Prologue part 1

**For those who aren't in the know, Heart of the swarm is coming out in March, so I decided to release this to celebrate the occasion. Believe it or not, the premise of this fic is actually older than invasion of chaos- I just got a little lazy.**

**And now for the disclaimer: I own neither StarCraft nor Mass Effect- those belong to their respective copyright holders: Blizzard and BioWare respectively.**

* * *

On Mar Sara, James Eugene Raynor sat at his desk lost in thought, reminiscing about the past 13 years… About the time leading up to and since Mengsk was overthrown and lost one of his best friends in the process.

In many ways it all started in the time after he retrieved the Xel'Naga artifact from Xil. Raynor's old comrade, the Dark Templar Zeratul, had somehow managed to stow away on the Hyperion, with the intent of delivering some most dire news in the form of a data crystal. From this device, Raynor divined Zeratul's travels to acquire a prophesy by his people's uplifters, the Xel'Naga. This led him to search out an unexpected source of information- the corpse of the Zerg Overmind on the protoss home world of Aiur. This message was a warning of Armageddon and the previously unthinkable means to avert it: if they were to live, so to must Kerrigan- former ghost and friend of Raynor, now Queen of Blades, murderer of billions, including several of Raynor's best friends and Zeratul's own precious matriarch, Raszagal.

The call came around at the worst time, mid-battle, upon Korhal while they were attempting to broadcast the files on the captured Adjutant to the news corporations operating throughout Terran Space. Tyrador, the planet home central to the Mobius Corporation which was paying them was under attack by the Zerg. Given the choice between leaving Korhal and leaving behind their chance to strike a serious blow upon Mengsk (not to mention Tychus was having the time of his life) and having a quick celebration before zipping off to Tyrador in very short order, it's obvious he and the crew chose the latter.

This cost them, as by the time the Hyperion reached Tyrador, Kerrigan, the Queen of Blades had already set foot upon the world. In a mad rush to stop her from getting to the data cores she came there for, Jim Raynor and his crew set out to destroy them, and succeeded in obliterating two of them. The last one however was too well defended, with the nearby Zerg managing to hold their ground long enough for Kerrigan to reach the last data core and extract the information she needed from it.

After that she, and by extension, the Zerg as a whole dropped off the map and for thirteen years has been eerily quiet. There were rumors of an attack on a Tal'darim base on Typhon XI, and the crew did not manage to collect all the pieces to the mysterious artifact they were collecting, but for the most part they just disappeared. An expedition to Char several years ago revealed that even that planet was mostly abandoned by the Zerg.

This did not mean Raynor and his crew were done though; Mengsk was still in power, however tenuous his grasp was on it. On Shiloh, Raynor's own home planet, Raynor got his chance to bring down the Emperor once and for all. Rousing his troops and the citizens of the planet, Raynor's forces defeated those of Mengsk and with him the Dominion. In its place would rise the Koprulu Section Republic, which would be democratically ruled and seek to right the wrongs of its predecessors.

Sadly, that was not all that happened during that day. Tychus Finday, Raynor's old friend and drinking buddy also died, his suit pumping poison into his blood stream after being triggered to do so by a remote source.

Since then, Raynor has been in charge of the organization and reorganization of the new military power. He now knew many things he didn't know previously, including the fact that Sarah Kerrigan was the one who killed Arcturus Mengsk's father along with three other ghosts. Previously he thought that the man abandoning her to the zerg on Tarsonis was his crossing of the line- now he wondered how he managed to stand her that long. Another thing he found out was that his long lost son, John, was still alive after all those years and reunite with him.

Raynor then looked towards a relatively innocuous paper on his desk, one of the prototype proposals for the reorganization of the ghost program into a new, voluntary organization known as the N7 (Headed by none other than Tosh). The ghost program as it was had left too many wounds upon him, and the loss of his son to them was merely the greatest. No more would we conscript children from their parents with psionic potential, (though those that did would still have to have some special training to reduce their potential danger) but instead they would be treated as human beings with the ability to choose, just like everyone else.

It was then an alarm blazed that brought him back to reality.

***Codex***

Terrans

Terrans are an offshoot of humanity that came into being after an accident into developing faster than light travel sent the inhabitants of four sleeper ships all the way to the other side of the galaxy. Relatively mundane in comparison to their neighbors, the Protoss and the Zerg, the Terran have no known connection to the Xel'Naga precursors whose relics dot the landscape of various worlds in the sector, though psychic powers are developing within their species and their militaries can match either given the same amount of resources. In general, Terrans are a suspicious group with until recently, two of their three main governments (Kel-Morian Combine being considered a government for the sake of this entry) being considered tyrannical and having somewhat poor relations with other sentient races in the sector.

For Information on the UED, please consult their entry


	2. Prologue part 2

**I own neither StarCraft nor Mass Effect. Those belong to Blizzard and BioWare respectively.**

**Also, when you review, I would genuinely appreciate it if you would not say it's good or bad, but say why it is good or bad or make suggestions on how I can improve it. Thanks.**

* * *

The alarm that had brought Raynor back to the real world was special and singular in its purpose: to alert Raynor and other individuals of importance of Zerg movement and summon them to the Zerus Concords, an organization comprised of various individuals of great importance who came together in wake of the last zerg invasion to establish a coordinated effort against them in case of the inevitable next zerg invasion. Realizing the potential danger, Raynor stood up and began walking to the designated meeting place.

The "meeting place" he was going to was for the most part, a simple, sparsely decorated room with multiple vid screens for each of the various individuals whom would be attending with the signals sent out and received over a channel with the latest in the line of security methods to reduce the chances of someone who would listen in. When he entered the room, the meeting was already in progress.

"They are no threat to us-"

"Are you kidding? This is the first major movement by the Zerg we have detected in 13 years! Of course it's a threat to us!"

"Surely it's a scout?"

"The Zerg are always a threat"

"And don't call me Shirley."

"And what about the artifact? It's never been encountered before."

There were several persons there that he instantly recognized: Selendis, the current executor of the Khalai protoss; Zeratul, one of Raynor's closest friends among the Protoss; Tosh, current head of the N7 program; and Matt Horner, who was once Raynor's idealistic second in command and now a popular representative within the KSR's central government. There were several other characters of importance with whom Raynor was not extremely familiar with but knew of and was aware of their occupation, including several other Protoss, some of the higher level members of the Kel-Morian Combine, and the Umojan Protectorate's ruling council.

"Aw, I see Raynor has arrived," Stated one of the voices, the young protoss leader Artanis.

"I would appreciate it if you guys could get me up to speed so we could really get this show on the road," said Jim Raynor.

"Much obliged," said one of the human participants that Raynor didn't recognize respectfully.

"I am General Madison Barnlby Williams the third, and before you ask about my name, it's my name, and I am proud of all of it unlike some other people in this room (and the author of this piece of Fan Fiction). I am the officer in charge of the Terran patrol fleet which discovered the Zerg presence and movement." Said the man before the camera shifted to unveil a new scene, a massive space borne swarm of zerg. "As you can see from here, this zerg fleet contains several leviathans and other large zerg organisms as well as a few other zerg we have not previously encountered clustered around this area."

"What the Zerg are gathering around is this artifact of unknown origin," he said as the picture of a massive tuning fork shaped object appeared, "This artifact contains a large amount of a previously undiscovered element we have dubbed Element Zero and regularly sends out beams of light into the great beyond. Furthermore, every time one of those signals is released, the mass of the zerg swarm in the area becomes slightly smaller, at least until a new batch arrives via Warp Space. Several of my scientists aboard my ship the Magnanimous, hypothesize that the artifact is a conduit for faster than light travel, though the means of which it does so, and where it goes is unknown."

"Great." Raynor said sarcastically, "Just what we need, the zerg getting a new form of faster than light travel and spreading across the galaxy. Just think of the possibilities if they can assimilate new forms of life."

"Exactly what I was thinking." Said Selendis starting the argument the group was having at the beginning all over again, "The Artifact must be destroyed."

"No!" Cried out one mean looking Terran wearing the insignia and colors of the Kel-Morian combine. "We need to acquire control of that object from the Zerg. Imagine what knowledge we could gain from it."

"Knowledge Udina? You and your group just wants to horde it and sell it when it has no more use for you," Countered a man from the Umojan Protectorate known as Steven Hackett.

"Enough! We need to stop all this bickering like we are in the Conclave!" Proclaimed Artanis, finally deciding that now would be the time to take control of the situation. "If this artifact is indeed an faster-than-light conduit, then it doesn't matter if we destroy it, the zerg will already be on the other side. No, it would be worse if we do, since we can't get there. Furthermore, we don't know what will happen if the artifact is obliterated, it could be more trouble than it is worth. However, before we can do anything related to the artifact, we need to destroy the zerg force surrounding it first."

A chorus of murmurs in agreement commenced.

* * *

Several hours ago, General Desolas had received orders to take a patrol fleet to the Integem system to investigate claims of the system's dormant mass relay (designated 417) being activated. What he suspected was either nothing at all (he hoped), Pirates, or some previously unknown species making their first steps into the greater galaxy (Desolas hoped strongly against the last option- in simulations regarding the possibility, he had a habit of jumping the gun and attacking the fledgling race when it had no knowledge of wrongdoing). Furthermore, one of the planets in the system, Custon meant something to Desolas. His brother was currently there, partaking in the military regimens his species was known for (Several individuals Desolas had met claimed they saw a potential Spectre in him). What the Turian general found when he got there, defied belief.

"What the hell are those things!?" Were the first words to come out of Desolas' mouth when he saw what had apparently emerged out of the system's mass relay. "Those things" as Desolas had called them, did not appear to be ships so much as misshapen dreadnought-sized asteroids (some bigger) that appeared to move of their own accord as opposed to inertia, and worse yet, it appeared more of "those things" were coming. Adding to the troubles were that "those things" were not alone- smaller things moved alongside them, some small enough to be fighters, others as large as frigates.

"They're… organic?" Said one of the turian operators hesitantly.

"Organic? What do you mean organic? Do you mean they are created entirely from molecules involving carbon?" asked Desolas.

"No… according to our scans- those things… are living organisms!" Exclaimed the operator.

"By the spirits… Have you been broadcasting the first contact signal?" Asked Desolas.

"Yes, but those things don't seem to be responding to them."

"Then prepare for battle. If they come for a fight, they will not find the hierarchy wanting." Commanded the General.

"Sir, they're moving into position. It looks like they're going to attack."

* * *

General Williams turned off the communications link with a sigh. At last the Zerus Concords had finished making their decision- a joint terran/protoss fleet would rendezvous with him to attack the zerg. If they succeeded in defeating the nearby zerg fleet, they would converge upon the artifact, investigate it, and if it was indeed a faster-than-light conduit like he and his researchers thought it was, use it to hunt down the zerg that used it.

Until then he and his men would have to wait there and hope that they wouldn't be noticed and destroyed by the alien menace known as the Zerg.

"General, a flock of zerg has detached itself from the main group."

The general grimaced. They had noticed him. The odds were against him and his men, but they had right on his side and the hopes and dreams of countless people as well. He opened his locket containing a picture of his children from 20 years ago and then closed it.

"Fire!" he commanded.

***Codex***

Protoss

The protoss, while not a particularly prolific race, are without a doubt the most advanced race encountered by the citadel council currently in existence. Uplifted and enhanced by the precursor race known as the Xel'Naga, the protoss hold great respect toward their patrons, sometimes bordering on outright worship. All protoss are psychic, and there are two main methodologies in how they use them- the Khala which promotes a psychic link between all adherents, and the Nerazim, or Dark Templar whom arose because they thought that the Khala would eliminate free will; though recently there have arisen splinter groups such as the Tal'darim. Protoss are capable of living as long as asari, with some over a thousand years old. An interesting trait of the Protoss is that they gain nourishment through photosynthesis like plants- they can, under the right circumstances, sustain themselves on moonlight and dewdrops (though the Nerazim have found other means to sustain themselves). This, in conjunction with their telepathy, means that the protoss do not have mouths like other species.

The loss of their home planet Aiur is seen by some as a symbol of the folly of their pride by some members of their species, though in recent years the protoss have embarked on several expeditions to retake it from the zerg. They currently have a strong foot hold on the planet with the aim of removing the zerg from the world once and for all.


	3. Prologue part 3

I own neither StarCraft nor Mass Effect. Those belong to Blizzard and BioWare respectively.

Also, when you review, I would genuinely appreciate it if you would not say it's good or bad, but say why it is good or bad or make suggestions on how I can improve it. Thanks.

* * *

The Zerg flew towards the Magnanimous like they always did- in numbers. Thankfully, the group that broke off did not bring forth the sorts of units that would be a threat to the Battlecruiser such as corrupters (or whatever the zerg counterpart was nowadays), scourges or a Leviathan; merely several dozen or so Mutalisks. The opening barrage killed off quite a few of them and the rest were taken care of by the point defense guns.

Still the situation was less than ideal. The Magnanimous was of the latest brand of Battlecruisers: the centaur class which was better armed and armored than previous variations. However, it was also untested when it came to the Zerg, especially since as of 13 years ago, the zerg simply dropped off the map. This meant that its effectiveness against new strains of the virulent and ever mutating race was uncertain.

This wasn't the only source of problems- the Magnanimous was intended as a surface bombardment vessel- most of her armaments either could not target most space borne targets or couldn't target them effectively. Still, what she did hit would probably wish they weren't. And of course the Magnanimous still had her Yamato Cannon for that one big foe that came along (though Williams doubted the zerg would present him with just one), and a contingent of fighters that could be sent out to defend the ship against a variety of threats.

Williams gave out a big sigh. Until the fleet came or the next wave of zerg detached itself from the main body, the most he and his crew could do was sit and wait. That did not sit well with him since according to his estimates, the nearest allied fleet was at the very least two and a half hours away.

"Anything wrong sir?" asked a nearby voice originating from behind him.

"No Shepard. I'm just anxious," replied the general before opening and closing his precious locket.

"Worried about your family sir? I heard your eldest just got married." Asked the soldier.

"A bit. I'm more worried about those zerg though. We got lucky, but I don't think that will be so next time they come for us," Williams said before once again turning to gaze at the mass of Zerg gathering around the mysterious artifact.

* * *

General Desolas stood at the bridge, waiting for the dreadnought he was in command of, the Spirits' Retribution to lock on to its target- the closest of those large organic ships that had exited through the mass relay.

"Three, two, one. We have locked onto the vessel," stated one of the men in charge of piloting the ship and aiming the dreadnought's mighty cannons.

"Good. Now…" Said Desolas before promptly getting interrupted by a blaring alarm going off.

"What was that!?"

"General! Several of the large craf-creatures, whatever we are supposed to call them have begun emitting a strange energy in front of them."

Desolas turned towards one of the monitors displaying one of the strange creatures and saw what appeared to be some sort of _rift _in front of it (oddly enough, the one that the Spirits' Retribution was aimed at was one of the few which didn't have one of those things in front of it). Attempting to get some control over the situation, Desolas pointed out one of his fingers at the monitor and said, "Zoom in on that thing in front of those monstrosities and get me scans on whatever the hell they are doing."

Following orders, the monitor's operator proceeded to do a close up on the strange object and the thing in front of it, which proceeded to reveal countless smaller creatures whose appearances ranged from "mutated bat from hell" to Stingray to Crab to space squid and many other forms he had yet to describe. Furthermore, a good number of the things were flying/moving/gliding (Desolas couldn't tell which though he did notice the bat monsters flapping their wings in space, which baffled him due to the impossibility of the process they were taking part in in the great void) towards the tear near those great monstrosities.

However, before the good general could process anything, a transmission came in from several other vessels in the fleet saying that had locked onto the nearest ship/creature. "Get me on the line," Desolas said "and prepare broadcast on all frequencies to those creatures."

"Aliens of unknown origin identify yourselves. We come in peace. We are Turians- the peace keeping arm of the council and we hope to aid you in a peaceful integration and relationship with our races. Lower any of your arms you have trained on us and we will do so to you as well. If you do not and do not send us a transmission, we will no doubt resolve to defend ourselves. This is your last warning."

A few seconds later, the turian peacekeeping force got their response: Several of the larger creatures entered into the anomalies in front of them, while those that didn't either moved into a position as if to do some short ranged attack, or began spitting out countless smaller creatures.

"So war it is then," Said Desolas. "Signal the rest of the fleet and tell them that diplomacy has apparently failed. Prepare to fire!"

* * *

"All hand on deck! The zerg have come to attack again!" proclaimed General Williams amidst a buzz of activity.

"General Williams. The force the Zerg are sending contain strains matching the profiles of Mutalisks, Corrupters, and drop pods. In addition, several unidentified strains have been detected within the force sent to attack us," Stated the battlecruiser's adjutant in monotone.

"Prepare the fighters! We must hold…" said Williams before being thrown temporarily off balance by the ship suddenly shaking and the lights briefly flashing on and off.

"What… was… that?" Said the general with a sense of absolute dread, "What were we just hit by?"

As if to answer his question, one of the vid-screens flares to life depicting an apparently desperate marine who said, "We've been hit by one of those Drop pods! Zerg in the Engineering bay! Hold them back so we can-" at which point his face exploded into chunks of bone, flesh, and muscle, causing the transmission to end.

"Wonderful. Just absolutely wonderful. At least it can't rain in space. Now can anybody else tell me how this could get worse? Pilot, tell me a leviathan hasn't exited the Zerg cluster to attack us," Williams ranted in desperation before composing himself and turning on the console that broadcasted to the barracks and said, "Marines suit up! We have an infestation in the Engineering Bay! Move to contain and suppress it!"

"General Williams, we are receiving a transmission from the Protoss Mothership 'Sword of Shakuras'," relayed the Adjutant.

Taking a second to catch his breath, General Williams turned to the Adjutant and said, "Let's hope it's good news. Put them through."

"Greetings, General Madison Barnlby Williams the third, I am Mericune," Said the Dark Templar in command of the Mothership. "The Mothership and the combined Protoss/Terran fleet at my command have been sent to aid you in purging the zerg from the artifact and are mere moments away from your position. What is your status?"

"Not good," said Williams looking to the side and surveying the coming battle before returning to face the protoss. "We are about to be pounded by a breakoff of the main zerg mass and we just got hit by a drop pod in the engineering bay. Any assistance occurring as soon as possible would be greatly appreciated."

"Then you shall have it," replied Mericune. "En Taro Tassadar!"

"General, multiple large entities emerging from warp space," Alerted the Adjutant.

"Good," stated Williams as he turned to look to the side before looking forward again.

Around the Magnanimous, starships of every sort materialized from warp space. Thunderbirds and Wyverns (well known to be the successors to the protoss Phoenix and Terran Berserk and earlier, Viking) along with Spirits, Hunter Seekers, Hippogryphs, and Ravagers maneuvered along the various capital ships such as Battlecruisers, Carriers and the Mothership "Sword of Shakuras" as well as several smaller frigate type ships such as the improved Tempests.

Gripping his fist with renewed strength, Williams raised up his hand and declared, "The cavalry has arrived boys! But we should not let this chance go to waste and let ourselves be left behind by our allies! Fire!" pointing at the zerg force.

The crew, taking that speech to heart, aimed the ship's weapons at a nearby Zerg Corrupter and began the process of firing them at the creature. When the lasers hit, the thing convulsed with apparent pain, causing the creature to miss its attack against the Magnanimous by a small margin before the guns each flickered off for a short duration to cool off. On that cue, a missile originating from a Wyvern hit the creature, causing it to explode into fleshy masses before the fighter and its group turned to attack another set of zerg units.

Around the ship, other engagements with the zerg swarm took place. Other Battlecruisers such as the Tarsonis' Revenge and Ever Victorious pounded the various zerg creatures with their laser batteries, missiles, and sometimes even a Yamato or two while Cleansers obliterated swarms of mutalisks from up close. Williams even saw a few "Fighter Carriers" which had been optimized for fighting air and spacecraft engaging several of the unknown zerg morphs in a dog fight.

Williams smiled for a second before ordering the Magnanimous to fire upon several nearby zerg. By now, the Magnanimous' own internal fleet that it was carrying with it had joined the fight (at least those with sufficient ability to engage in space combat) and exacting its toll upon its enemies. Now all that could be better was the capability of being able to fire the Yamato without risk. Sadly, so long as the zerg remained on the ship, that was a risk he was not willing to take. Furthermore, he couldn't help in the process due to having far more important duties on the ship, and its bridge, namely commanding it.

Just as was about to check up on the marines back there, he noticed a large movement in the zerg flotilla.

"Adjutant! Get me a close up on that area of the zerg mass," commanded Williams pointing to it.

"Orders Confirmed." Replied the machine before zooming in on the area Williams directed it to, revealing a group of leviathans moving towards their position.

"Warning, class 10 zerg fliers detected moving off from the main mass," stated the adjutant annoyingly.

"Wonderful," said the general dripping with sarcasm. "Adjutant, get me on the line to Mericune. I have a feeling she will want to hear about this if she hasn't already."

"Greetings, general Williams, I trust you contacting me in the middle of the battle you brought me to is over something most urgent?" said the dark Templar.

General Williams looked towards the adjutant, annoyed that it forgot to send the necessary data, and then turned back to the Templar on screen. "Unfortunately, yes. Several class 10 zerg fighters have removed themselves from the main mass and are en route to our position." Williams said.

"According to my scans, your vessel has not used its Yamato cannon despite having one. I believe this would be a good time to use it," stated Mericune.

"I know. Just before you got to us, some zerg got in the Magnanimous and I haven't heard back from my marines saying that they have been successfully removed, and I don't think the risk of what could happen if they manage to damage the Yamato while it is firing will outweigh the reward if it does," Replied the general. "However…"

"The Magnanimous is a surface bombardment vessel and those zerg fliers are HUGE. It is possible that if I manage to angle the ship right, my ship can hit the creatures for far more damage than I could with the Yamato, and I think that we were hit far enough away from the Plasma Batteries that there would be minimal risk of them overloading if fired."

"A daring plan human, though with great risk. What do you think would happen if you fail?" Asked Mericune.

"Well if you're just talking about my vessel, minimal, but you'll still need to find another way to defeat those creatures. However seeing as you are finishing mopping up the zerg in the area, I hope that you are willing to send a few forces my way to help me defeat the leviathans before they get too close." Explained Williams.

"Yes, I think that would be fair. Those incoming monster would be a much greater threat than this rabble. "She said in agreement. "Also, I would like to send a few of my Zealots onto your ship just to make sure you are completely rid of the Zerg when you attack those ships."

"Much appreciated, Mericune," said Williams, closing the connection. "Alright men, in a few minutes, we will unleash hell upon the zerg!"

His exclamation was met with great applause throughout the ship.

***Codex***

Zerg

Considered to be the greatest alien threat in modern times despite their avoidance of conventional technology, the zerg, like the protoss were originally created/uplifted by the advanced race known as the Xel'Naga. Originally larva like parasites, the zerg are believed to have caught the civilization's eye due to the species' ability to integrate the DNA of other organisms into themselves to make themselves stronger. In order to ensure the zerg evolved along the right path, the Xel'Naga created the Overmind which would direct all zerg connected to it. However, the Overmind turned on the Xel'Naga and consumed them. Then the proceeding years, the zerg would hunt down their brethren created by the Xel'Naga, the protoss and eventually drive them from their own home planet, Aiur. However, in the process, the Overmind would be destroyed and the mantle of zerg leadership would pass onto a creature that the Overmind had only recently created- the Queen of Blades.

An interesting discovery has been made in regards to the zerg: though they use Levo amino acids in their bodily processes, they are capable of digesting and using Dextro foods with just as much ease. Despite this, they cannot utilize the DNA of creatures (Such as turians, protoss, and quarians) with Dextro amino acids in their evolutions. However, it is possible, theoretically to forcibly merge the DNA of a zerg creature with that of a Dextro life form (In particular, the Protoss) to create a new, "hybrid" organism.

* * *

Well, I got Heart of the Swarm on opening day, and over all, I would say it is pretty good. It has some flaws (feels shorter than Wings of Liberty for example and too much hand holding) but it is overall a good product. The romance aspect between Kerrigan and Raynor for example, was in my opinion handled much better than in liberty and the way the zerg was handled was awesome.


	4. Prologue part 4

Sorry for having this come out so late.

I own neither StarCraft nor Mass Effect. Those belong to Blizzard and BioWare respectively.

Also, when you review, I would genuinely appreciate it if you would not say it's good or bad, but say why it is good or bad or make suggestions on how I can improve it. Thanks.

* * *

Robert M. Jenkins had heard stories of the zerg, and the pure unadulterated horror they inflicted upon any whom they deemed "worthy" of their presence. His father, a former marine had told him about how the vile monsters had crossed vast reached of space to meet the terrans but had no use for technology at all, using vast bio ships to cross the endless reaches of space. He had also told them of the vast array of forms the aliens could choose from the numberless reptilian/insectoid Zerglings, to the agile mutalisk, to the monstrous behemoths known as Ultralisks.

When he followed in his father's footsteps and joined the Koprulu Section Republic military; he, like a number of other cadets had like the naïve idiots they were, dismissed the stories as fantastical tall tales. After all, the zerg haven't appeared in 13 years.

Now, he and his squad were paying the price for that hubris.

Cortez, his squad leader, lay on the floor as little more than chunks of flesh and what remained of his marine armor. Good old Peter was Zergling lunchmeat. And his best bud Alcatraz was little more than a smear on the surface of the battlecruiser's interior- boiled away by the acidic secretions of some new zerg creature. Of the 15 members of his squad which came in response to the impact, the fact was, only he remained.

As he retreated from the abominations pouring as much ammo into them as he could, he doubted that fact would remain so for much longer.

Suddenly he tripped, and knowing the direness of his situation, closed his eyes and prepared to meet his maker. But he didn't. Instead he heard the thunder of gauss which rang of sweet salvation, or at least the chance to fight another few minutes.

As Jenkins prepared to get up, a marine held out his hand, which the soldier promptly took.

"The name's Sanders kid. Joshua Sanders," said the marine, "Now, can you tell me what happened to the rest of your squad?"

Clenching his fist in fury at himself for abandoning his friends, Jenkins gave his reply, "They're dead sir. They are all dead but me."

Behind Joshua, Jenkins heard a mocking and admonishing voice saying, "You left your squad behind? You aren't worth the marines kid."

Jenkins' temper flared up in response, but before he could begin his response, Joshua beat him to the punchline, quite literally.

"Mr. Bock, I would appreciate it if you refrained from insulting the guy who just lost his entire team," said the marine.

The man then turned towards the rest of the squad and said in a commanding voice, "Alright marines! Dig in! Not one zerg gets past here! Friar Tuck! Get to the front with those Rad Cannons and prepare to push the zerg from whatever goddamned hell hole they decided to pop out of to get on this ship! Leroy and Jenkins! Hold his flanks! Is that clear!?"

"Yes…" The marines began before the clattering sound of charging zerg forced them to take positions to defend.

As they opened fire, a zergling with a large fin resembling that of the Zz'gash Dune runner (which is believed to be the species that the iconic zerg critter was originally derived from) attempted to jump up at Tuck in order to attack him. Thankfully, Leroy managed to get a shot off at the xenomorph and ended its pitiful life before it could end his.

However, before they could turn things around and launch their offensive, Jenkins heard a pained yell coming from behind him. Despite not recognizing the voice, he felt a surge of rage welling up inside of him and took aim and fired at a hydralisk that he believed was responsible for the man's death.

The rounds hit the creature like a train, and soon the creature went down. However, before the thing hit the ground(?) Jenkins heard a sound coming in from behind the group. Turning his head for what he intended for few seconds to check, he saw something that he had come to dread- the Zerg had outflanked his party and were coming in to finish the kill.

"They've come around to hit us from the other side!" Exclaimed Jenkins while proceeding to fire his gauss rifle at the creatures.

Unfortunately, this proved to be exactly the wrong decision on Jenkins' part, as in the few seconds of distraction he gave to the team were just enough for the zerg on the side that they were already firing at to leave a little parting gift. A soul piercing shriek emitted form one of the marines.

Immediately, the marines took whatever cover they could.

"They killed Sanders!" Cried out Tuck.

"Those Bastards." Grumbled Bock. "Anyways, how in the universe did those Zerg outflank us on our own ship!?"

"I don't know but- gwack!" said one marine.

Jenkins gritted his teeth, in anger at how much he had lost today, and began to lower his head in resignation that this may be the end. Suddenly however, he heard a sound that immediately rekindled the fires of hope in his heart, and made him ready to push on.

For that was the sound of protoss warping in.

"En taro Tassadar Humans! This shall not be your end!" Bellowed out one of the Zealots as he charged forth into the oncoming Zerg.

"En taro Tassadar," Whispered Jenkins as he once again lifted his rifle and moved onwards toward the fight.

* * *

The plan was a resounding success. The Magnanimous' plasma torpedoes arched over the massive zerg creature, causing it to writhe in pain while other members of the fleet proceeded to their own forms of damage. Specialized bomber interceptors originating from carriers dropped their explosive payloads onto the leviathans while deftly avoiding the creature's tentacle attacks, while Wyverns pounded them with missiles and dealt with the lesser zerg creatures such as overlords, mutalisks, and other unknown organisms alongside thunderbirds and specialized fighter interceptors.

Finally, two Yammato cannons unleashed their payloads upon each of the zerg beasts, the blasts hitting right in the head and then proceeding to cleave a short distance into their insides before finally dissipating. With that final blow, the Leviathans began to pulsate and what appeared to be a chain reaction of biological explosions occurred within the creatures which threw chunks of meat in no particular direction. Finally, the detonations reached the core interiors of the behemoths and then stopped, just before the rest of the creature exploded into a bloody mess.

Williams closed his eyes for a few seconds satisfied in a job well done and in preparation for the next phase of the assault. He was also wondering how the hell the zerg developed those massive abominations that made protoss motherships look small.

When he opened his eyes again, the ship's adjutant spoke.

"General Williams, the class 10 zerg fliers have been confirmed to have been destroyed."

"Good. Set a course for our new destination alongside the rest of the fleets," ordered Williams.

"Orders confirmed general." Replied the machine in a feminine voice.

"General, a pulse just emmited from the artifact. The size of the zerg mass just dropped to less than a quarter of what it was."

Williams growled in response. "Adjutant, alert the fleet. Whatever the zerg just did, it can't be good."

* * *

Saren watched the sky above with a sense of foreboding. An absolutely massive… thing… just entered the atmosphere of the planet Custon, casting a massive shadow over the installation. No, massive did not even begin to describe it. If one were to compare it to the Destiny Ascension, the largest dreadnaught in citadel space, the result would leave the masterpiece of engineering looking rather shoddy.

And that wasn't all about it. After that, least weird thing about it was that a vessel that size was this close to a terrestrial planet- a feat impossible without absolutely massive mass effect fields to keep it from crashing into the ground. And then there was its appearance; Saren did not know of any species that designed their star ships that way. Four absolutely massive tendrils and countless smaller ones attached to a colossal bulbous body that looked almost like a living thing.

And then it rained.

Countless teardrop shaped objects dropped from the ship-thing like ammunition. He guessed it was. However, something weird happened- they suddenly opened up and slowed their decent. That surprised Saren, there was no reason for missiles to deliberately slow themselves before they got to their target.

Unless they weren't missiles.

It was then Saren realized that one was coming straight towards him, prompting him to attempt to leap out of the way before it hit him.

Erring on the side of caution, Saren took out his gun and pointed it in the direction of where the object crashed. It was there that Saren met what was to become the symbol of one of the greatest terrors the Citadel had ever met-

The Zergling.

***Codex***

Xel'Naga

With artifacts dating from several million to mere thousands of years ago, the Xel'Naga were an advanced race that made a vast swath of space, including the Koprulu sector their home. In this vast area of space no known mass relays are known to exist, making that area the largest explored area of the galaxy without mass relays. This fact leads many to believe that they clashed with the protheans when they were building the Mass Relays, though there is currently little evidence to support this claim. Many protoss revere or outright worship the Xel'Naga and claimed it was them who uplifted their race and several others, including the Zerg. Indeed, the baseline for many protoss technologies originates from reverse engineering several of the Xel'Naga artifacts left on their world.

There is strong evidence that the power of Xel'Naga psionics was well beyond the measure of mortals. A large number of their psionic artifacts are strongly affected by psionic power or strongly affect psionic power. Furthermore, races altered by the Xel'Naga have a tendency to resonate with them and are more strongly affected by them than those that are not.


	5. Prologue part 5

I own neither StarCraft nor Mass Effect. Those belong to Blizzard and BioWare respectively.

Also, when you review, I would genuinely appreciate it if you would not say it's good or bad, but say why it is good or bad or make suggestions on how I can improve it. Thanks.

* * *

The zerg are moving out Williams thought, and they left a token force to stop us or failing that, slow us down. "Well, let's see about that. Adjutant!"

"Yes commander?"

"Have the Zerg been removed from the ship's interior?" Asked Williams.

"Scanning…" Said the adjutant in a droning voice. "Confirmed, no living zerg bio signs have been detected on the Battlecruiser Magnanimous."

"Good. Signal the Sword of Shakuras. We need a plan. And I might have one," Said Williams in a confident voice.

"General Williams, I thank you for contacting me," Said Mericune telepathically. "We have removed the zerg from our airspace and are moving towards your position."

"I trust that you are aware of what the Zerg just did?" asked Williams.

"Indeed, and it is most troubling. If it is what your researchers believe it is, then we must remove the remaining zerg forces stationed here and attempt to travel through it." Said the dark Templar. "Based on scans, the zerg forces left here include 5 Leviathans and several hundred lesser mutations including Overlords, overseers, Mutalisks, Corrupters and several unknown variants."

"Based on this, the best method for taking down these Zerg would be to split ourselves into two groups- one for taking down the smaller zerg, and the other for taking down the larger. We then attempt to separate as many of the smaller organisms from the larger ones, warp our forces to the locations which will best serve the group's tactical needs, and pound those organisms with weaponry specialized for dealing with them. Should one group prove successful in defeating their prey before the other, they will redirect their fire onto the other group as soon as possible."

Williams could already see a number of possible holes in the strategy the Dark Templar just laid out and prepared to poke through them to make sure that each life was spent wisely.

"So how are we supposed to separate the big zerg from the small ones? Do you have a plan if the separation fails? And are we predicting the arrival of reinforcements any time in the future?"

Mericune's eyes lashed in such a way that implied that not only did she predict him saying that, she had hoped for those sorts of questions. "I see you have acquired your position for a reason, Williams. For the first and second question, my response is this- the Sword of Shakuras is armed with both a temporal field to slow down whatever creatures are caught within them and a vortex generator which will trap anything and everything within it for about an hour. The Sword of Shakuras and a small escort force will be the first to engage the zerg force to clear the path. As for your last question, yes, we are predicting the arrival of reinforcements in the near future- this fleet was sent here to clear the zerg forces defending the artifact; the next force will be a much larger, combined fleet intent on, if possible, following the zerg through the artifact and hunting them down."

Seeing his questions answered Williams smiled and rubbed his chin in satisfaction and cut the link.

"Adjutant, relay the orders through the fleet, and tell them to be in position when Mericune gives the signal."

* * *

Sensing the thoughts and positions of the various members from her meditation, Mericune opened her eyes with a single thought- it is time.

With grace worthy of the protoss race, she glided towards the mother ship's control panel and looked towards the pilots who immediately recognized that as the signal to do a short warp space jump to the zerg position.

Though she could not effectively read the zerg minds, from the way they reacted Mericune could tell they were somewhat startled. Capitalizing on this precious time would give her the chance to open the vortex upon one of the leviathans and create a temporal field on another group of zerg.

Pointing towards the nearest leviathan, the creature was suddenly engulfed by a warped region of space from which it will reside and could not escape for the next hour.

Reacting to this, the zerg began to move towards the Mothership as fast as they could. Intending to counter this in desperation, one of the protoss in command of the weapons systems attempted to activate the temporal field but was overridden by Mericune. Instead she had the lesser creatures targeted and incinerated by the mothership's purifier beams while the temporal field was unleashed upon one of the leviathans towards the back.

Seeing what was happening working perfectly, the dark Templar closed he eyes for a brief moment in satisfaction before opening them again.

"Initiate mass recall of the group intended to deal with the larger swarm." the Templar broadcasted.

"Understood."

* * *

The dreadnaught Spirit's Retribution shook from being hit by one of the countless projectiles launched at it from the massive vehicle the turians had taken to calling bioships.

"Status report!" Demanded Desolas.

"Minor surface damage" reported one of the engineers at the console. "Wait, we have received a report from some of the crew that some creatures have exited out of whatever just hit us."

Desolas gritted his mandibles and outright growled at what he just heard. These aliens, no, creatures had destroyed almost two thirds of his fleet and even then, he got the feeling that they were just playing with him and his forces like a feline would with a rodent it had just caught. The mere concept of this caused him to seethe with rage and fear- for they were the turians- the species who represented the bulk of the military might behind the government of the citadel council whom presided over the known galaxy.

"General the commanders of several of our remaining vessels are calling for a retreat," Said one of the communications officers.

"WHAT!?" Bellowed Desolas in disbelief. "Belay that order! There are innocents in this system we have to protect."

Putting his hand on the general's shoulder, sergeant Vakarian sorrowfully said, "I'm sorry sir. I know your brother is down there but for now it's a lost cause. If it makes you feel any better, I have a brother down there as well. We must warn the council about this. Then we can retake the system with a much better force than this patrol fleet."

In response, Desolas' mandibles twitched and his head drooped downwards. "Agreed. Signal the remainder of the fleets- we're moving out."

A single tear moved down the turian's face.

"I'm sorry, Saren."

* * *

"Fire!" commanded Williams as the Magnanimous exited the short jump to the Zerg's location.

Waves of plasma and Yamatos were bathed upon the Zerg leviathans, causing them to convulse in pain. In response, the nearby Zerg switched priorities in order to retaliate against the new foe attacking them. While comparatively small in number compared to the force the other fleet was dealing with (and intended to deal with), the forces that were here still had to be wary of them.

"Send out the command for some of the fighters to intercept those lesser fliers," commanded Williams.

"Confirmed," replied the Adjutant. "Fighter pilots are now in transit to intercept the Zerg"

"Good," replied Williams scratching his chin before realizing someone was behind him.

"Nice to see you again so soon Shepard."

"Indeed," replied the tall special operations trooper with an air of nostalgia as put his rifle away and prepared to watch the battle. "The battle seems to be going well."

"Too well almost," said Williams as he leaned to better see the unveiling battle. "They say the best laid plans are naught when the battle has been joined, but this one has fulfilled its purpose almost perfectly. I wonder what will happen when we get to the gate."

"Don't know, but it probably isn't good," said the soldier as he tuned to see the leviathan they were focusing on, which had apparently had enough be torn apart by various explosions throughout its body until all that was left of it was a husk of a corpse and bits of flesh hurtling through the void. Not missing a beat, Williams set a new target for the Magnanimous to focus on before returning to his conversation with the N7.

"Yes, it isn't good. We don't know how long the zerg have been exploiting this artifact," sighed Williams. "For all we know, it may well be the reason why zerg sightings have been falling so rapidly in recent years."

"That… may be true," said Shepard. "But now probably isn't the time to be worrying about that."

* * *

Williams and Shepard watched the battle taking place from the bridge. Based on what information they had, the battle was almost over, with the allied terran and protoss forces mopping up the remaining zerg. But all was not well.

Agent Shepard looked down at the console, and read. He was reading a list of casualties- Magnanimous crew members, ship names, brave fighter pilots lost in the void. It did not matter which was which to him, their losses all weighed equally heavily on his mind. If he had a son or daughter, he would make sure that they learned that lesson as well.

A hologram appeared depicting Mericune.

"Greetings, Williams and…"

"Agent Ralph Shepard. Pleased to be of your acquaintance," interjected the N7.

"The pleasure is mine," replied the dark Templar. "I am contacting you to tell you that the new fleet has arrived and we believe it is time to investigate the artifact and since your ship was the first to discover it, it is only natural that yours is the first to use it."

"Thank you for this honor," said Williams before turning to look at the device floating in the void.

***Codex***

Warp Space

Warp space is a method of FTL (Faster-than-light travel) that has recently been introduced to citadel space with the introduction of the Terran, Protoss, and Zerg. The basic theory of warp space is that the subject in question enters a higher dimension for witch the speed of light no longer presents a barrier to acceleration. This method of FTL is incredibly fuel efficient compared to Mass Effect FTL and does not carry the risks of overheating and static discharge into the ship. A perfect example of this is also the 28 year long journey from the human's home system of Sol to the Koprulu sector- a voyage that was only intended to last one year. Furthermore, through the use of special "beacons" the transit time of an object through warp space can be greatly reduced to a matter of hours or minutes, depending on the size and distance of the object being transported. An extension of this technology also enables short distance teleportation which is often used by the protoss and much more rarely and in a more experimental form, used by the Terrans. However, in spite of all these advantages warp space provides over Mass Effect FTL, outside of the aforementioned beacons, travel through warp space is generally slower than FTL using Element Zero, though it is believed that the UED has found a method of circumventing this disparity in their expedition to the Koprulu Sector and Zerg transit times in warp space are generally faster than their protoss and terran counterparts (theorized to be a result of the biological nature of their vessels).

Travel is not the only use of warp space. Communications technology utilized or at least partially utilized by the terrans, protoss, and apparently the Zerg utilizes warp space to send out signals much like an FTL radio (Though the latter two prefer to communicate via psionics). This application has been found to be, outside of being deliberately blocked, much faster and more reliable than current methods of long distance communication via com buoys. Work is being made to replace the current system with this new method.


	6. Reaction

I am reading the reviews and I have noticed that quite a few people seem to want the Terrans and protoss not to join the citadel. I am here to tell you that in the case of the former (and maybe the latter), you will probably be disappointed. There are several reasons for this: first and foremost, is that the zerg (and not Kerrigan's good running evil zerg) have gotten into the relay network, and I am quite sure that both groups will agree that that is a bad thing. The second, is that quite frankly they don't have much to lose from the alliance. The most powerful AIs deliberately created by either terrans or protoss are comparable to very powerful Vis in the citadel and quite a few technologies used by terrans can be dramatically improved by citadel tech (and vice versa). Third and most importantly, I feel I can make the story more interesting this way.

Also, I would appreciate it if someone could submit their ideas for a better name for this fic in the future.

* * *

Turian Councilor Carthanos sat at his office reading and signing the various documents related to his species and the affairs of the council. It was at this time his omnitool came up with an alert telling him to immediately meet with the other councilors. Whatever it was, it is of immediate importance.

With all due haste, the councilor made his way to the chambers only to find the other two- Tevos and Sem'Dis there waiting for him, tapping their feet in annoyance.

Frowning with a sense of dread, Carthanos decided to ask the obvious question, "What just happened!?"

In a sign of annoyance, Sem'dis crossed his arms and countered, "I don't know. You tell me."

Carthanos' mouth gaped with disbelief and confusion for about thirty seconds before asking, "I don't know what you mean."

Tevos turned to him with an expression which showed great amounts of both anger and disbelief and said, "Seeing as how your species is responsible for what just happened, I am surprised that you didn't find out about it first. A few hours ago Desolas Arterius made contact with a previously unknown alien species opening an unmapped relay in the Integem system and conflict arose between the two. He lost the majority of the fleet and has retreated here for support."

"THAT BAREFACED IDIOT!" Carthanos proclaimed in outrage, "If he initiated conflict and this race is anything like the Rachni, I will wring his neck myself!"

"What a magnificent display," noted Tevos sarcastically.

"Well, if you are going to search for him, you don't have to look very far- he's already here," she said pointing.

If looks could kill, the glare Carthanos gave Desolas would make him guilty of mass murder.

"Tell me, Desolas, is it true your forces opened fire upon a previously unknown race?" Asked Carthanos before beginning his rant.

"Because if you did, you are a shame to the Hierarchy and to the council races. Do you know what the council is supposed to be? If you say the government of the galaxy you are only half right. We are the guides of the many- the protectors of those whose cannot help themselves and the parents of those children who are just now setting foot among the countless stars. And while I am aware that our current system is not perfect, I still believe that our races should strive to be the paragons of what sapients are capable of.

And if you attacked a previously unknown race and made it hostile to us, you are spitting upon all that we are supposed to stand for. Now tell me, did you attack a previously unknown race?"

"Yes, but only in retaliation," said Desolas, clearly unnerved by his councilor's will.

"Define retaliation," said the salarian councilor.

"When a number of vessels larger than the largest dreadnaught produced by the citadel races entered the Custon system via an unmapped mass relay I had our ships broadcast a first contact signal," Desolas began, "However, they did not respond in kind and instead moved into what appeared to be a combat formation. Deciding to make our positions clear, I ordered the fleet into positions to defend themselves in case they were aggressive and broadcast the first contact signal again. Then they attacked. And we were slaughtered and had to flee with our tails between our legs much to my reluctance. Now there is nothing between them and Custon, where countless people live and where My brother is being trained."

The three councilors looked at each other for a few seconds before turning to the General.

"Do you have any evidence to vouch for your claims?" asked Tevos.

"I do." Said Sergant Vakarian, who used his omnitool to display the scene.

When it was finished, the councilors stood for a few minutes to digest the scene. Carthanos was the first to speak up.

"If what you showed me was true Desolas, I am going to award you a medal. If what you have showed me is a fraudulent however, I am personally going to hang you up by your entrails. For now, I am going to have C sec check your ship's data banks to make sure there have been no… alterations of the data."

* * *

Ship after shipped warped in after exiting the other side of the strange artifact to behold a gruesome sight.

Vast leviathans hovered over the remains of what would appear to be starships, scavenging their remains for biomass.

Williams grimaced at the sight and thought, "Yet another race that had fallen to the Zerg."

What was worse was that the race that the Zerg had attacked was most likely sapient and was also starfaring.

"General Williams," said his adjutant, "We have detected heat signatures on the second planet indicating that there is fighting still going on the second planet in the system."

"Thank the heavens." sighed Williams, "Inform the rest of the fleet so we can get a small contingent there and help them. Hopefully their first contact with us will go better than us and the Protoss (i.e. someone glassing a planet)."

"General Williams," said a voice behind him.

Williams turned to the source of the voice. It was Shepard.

"Permission to scout designated planet with all that it entails?"

"Permission granted," Stated Williams.

* * *

"Children and other noncombatants first!" proclaimed one of the soldiers whom directed the crowd towards the transports used for evacuation.

Saren however, was not amongst those in the crowd. Instead he, like any Turian of his age worth his salt, was firing upon the alien beasts that had invaded this world, switching weapons whenever one overheated.

He had gotten here after managing to slay a number of the varen-monsters that had arrived through some sort of drop-pod alongside several other Turians.

Now however, there was a lull of activity that was getting him on edge. Despite the fact that there were still a bunch of the smaller beasts bearing down upon them, they were coming in nowhere near the numbers or variety that they were prior, and that made him on edge. Not to mention the tremors coming from the ground every so often. Despite claims by his fellows to the contrary that the invaders had run out of resources, Saren knew the truth- they were preparing for something. Just what that something was, he didn't know, but he knew it was going to be more horrible than anything they had seen yet.

The sudden explosion in the background merely confirmed his suspicions. In place of one of the transports was ruin and a massive shrieking worm.

But that wasn't all. When the worm reached its apex, it moved down and began disengorging wave afer wave of alien monsters, forcing the turians to split their firepower both inward s and outwards to defend the civilians.

All in all, Saren could say he hated these aliens.

***Codex***

Psionics

The study of psionics is a relatively new branch of science to the citadel races. The term refers to a power that select individuals have through the use of their mind to affect the environment. In practice, this has similar implications to biotics, though users of psionics are in general more versatile with it and less able to directly affect the environment with it (So far only Terran Psychics of 8 and above have demonstrated Telekinesis). In recent years, it has been discovered that the Asari mind meld is actually a product of psionics, though it is extremely directed and only usable for that purpose outside of Ardat-Yakshi (and even then, not so much can be gained from it that way, aside from a boost in biotic power). In order of strength, the known races that have noticeable levels of psionic potential are the Protoss, Zerg, Terran, and Asari, though there is much evidence that the Xel'Naga have had even higher levels of psionic potential than the protoss.

In recent years, theories have arisen that make a connection between Warp space and a race's development of psionic powers.

* * *

Sorry that took so long for such a short chapter folks, folks. Hopefully the next one will come out sooner and be longer.


End file.
